Monterey House Brown Sugar Candy

Monterey House Brown Sugar Candy brings back memories of the sweet treat hidden under the chips. It is called Dulce de leche, or Mexican Milk Fudge, but to us, it looked like dark brown sugar cubes when we were little. We would literally move the chips and fight over the candy. The waitress would usually see this, and bring everyone over a piece, and then put extra under the next chip refill. This is also the restaurant that introduced us to Tex Mex style food, it was not that common back then. Sadly, they went out of business sometime in the late 80’s if memory serves. Panchos came in and that was our next once a month Friday night dinner for the next 15 years, the tradition migrated from candy on the bottom to a flag you raised when you wanted more food. Will always miss this candy, if anyone actually has their recipe or has a closer version of it, please contact, would love to try it. Thanks.

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Monterey House Brown Sugar Candy

Recipe by My Southern Spoon (MySouthernSpoon.com)
5.0 from 1 vote

Monterey House Brown Sugar Candy
If you grew up in East Texas or Houston area, you may remember the little piece of magic hiding at the bottom of the chip basket at Monterey House restaurants. Tucked beneath the warm tortilla chips was a square of rich brown sugar candy, a sweet surprise that everyone at the table hoped to claim. Soft, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, this old-fashioned candy combined buttery brown sugar with a hint of vanilla for an unforgettable treat. Kids and adults alike would race to find it first, often sparking friendly arguments over who got the coveted piece. This recipe brings back that beloved restaurant tradition and all the sweet memories that came with it.

“The chips were good, but the real prize was always the brown sugar candy waiting at the bottom of the basket.”

Course: DessertCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings: 16

16

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10–15

minutes
Cooling time

1–2

hours
Estimated total including cooling

80–145

minutes
Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 16 ounces brown sugar

  • 5 ounces evaporated milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

  • Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.
  • Add the brown sugar and evaporated milk. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
  • Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (240°F) on a candy thermometer.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken and lose some of its gloss.
  • Pour the candy mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  • Allow the candy to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

Recipe Video

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